“Gold isn’t something that should be spared. I’m sure Your Majesty is aware of that.”
“Of course… So, the Kushunora are a hindrance to us, you say?”
“At the very least, the head of their house needs to fall from power.”
“Let’s have them pay compensation then. Compensation around four times the national budget of the Holy Shushunu Kingdom. We’ll have them promise to pay us in parts over a period of 10 years. If they refuse, then they can consider their head’s life forfeit.”
Pale closed her eyes and became thoughtful, and then nodded.
“What if he were to run away?” She asked.
“If he refuses, then he will die. That’s all,” the Goblin King said.
“I understand. I’ll inform Gi Za-dono of your decision.”
Pale left the king and walked down the hall. Gi Za was there waitnig for her.
“Is the king unwilling to permit my vengeance on the Kushunora?”
“He’s ordered for them to compensate with coin instead. Coin worth four times the national budget of the Holy Shushunu Kingdom. If that’s not possible, then death will be the compensation.”
Gi Za narrowed his eyes and stared at Pale.
“Do you intend to exact your vengeance even if it means going against the king?” Pale asked.
“Our king is soft. Too soft. He actually left me some leeway for my vengeance!” Gi Za pointed out.
“…Yes, his endgame is weak, but do you really think I’d let you?”
Paying four times the national budget of the Holy Shushunu Kingdom in one lump sum was probably impossible even for the Kushunora House; hence, the Goblin King allowed them 10 years to pay it. That should open the market enough for the new merchants to leave their mark.
In other words, as long as they didn’t mention the latter half of the conditions, the punishment decreed by the king was essentially a death sentence for the Kushunora House, leaving them with only two choices – flee or die.
The Kushunora House prospered through trading, so there were probably a lot of merchants they could do business with across the sea.
Invisible sparks flashed between Pale and Gi Za as they met each other’s eye.
“…I didn’t think you would. I’m not happy about it, but it’s the king’s will. My honor wasn’t anything much to speak of in the first place.”
Gi Za sighed and turned heel.
“Indeed, you are wise, Gi Za-dono.”
Pale bowed her head, and while Gi Za peeked at her over his shoulders for a moment, he didn’t say anything and left.
“They will either live in shame or die a painful death… Either way, the Kushunora no longer have a future,” Pale said.
Gi Za only raised one of his hands in response to that.
Gi Za still didn’t know how to act in moderation. That’s why he left the matter of slowly dismantling the Kushunora to Pale.
Some time later, the Kushunora House gave their response, agreeing to pay the compensation demanded by the king.
◆◆◇
On the first winter of the King’s Calendar, four representatives from the elves appeared before the king, while preparations were underway to relocate the capital. Every one of these people, who have been gathered in Garm Su, was a distinguished person.
From the Fire Elves(Salamander) was Barrui the Salamander.
From the Water Elves(Undine) was Feeney the King of Bows.
From the Earth Elves(Gnome) was Berk Alsen Royon.
From the Wind Elves(Sylph) was Shunaria, who had been given all authority by Shure the Wise.
Contrast the representatives sent by the fire and water elves that boasted great accomplishments and abilities, the earth elves sent a young swordsman, while the wind elves sent Shunaria, who though somewhat accomplished in ruling, was yet to achieve anything meaningful.
The meeting that took place before the Goblin King and his tactician, Pale, included a report of the various elf factions’ situation – a report that hasn’t been given in some hundred years – as well as a briefing on the current situation of their forces.
This was being done to show that the Goblin King intended to ally himself with them as a nation.
To the goblins, an alliance meant the provisioning of soldiers.
The sylphs have constantly been fighting on the battlefield with 300 of their warriors. And then there was also Felbi’s company of 100 soldiers that’s being used to maintain the public order. In total, the sylphs were providing 400 soldiers to the goblins.
To the other elves that was a considerable number.
It was a number they could gather only by rounding up the men from the villages temporarily. Presently, Berk Alsen of the gnomes were leading nearly 500 soldiers to join the Goblin King in battle, but it was a different story altogether to have that many soldiers participate all the time.
It was only because of Shure’s wisdom and the fact that the sylphs were able to protect the Forest of Darkness from the humans that the sylphs could continue to provision that many soldiers.
Just from the fact that the population of the sylph was continuing to increase despite the sylph unification war should already be enough to show just how skilled Shurni was.
In contrast, although the gnomes fled to regions that the humans couldn’t enter and their bodies adapted to the harsh environment, in the end, they still couldn’t avoid losing some of their population.
Presently, their situation could only permit provisioning 200 soldiers constantly.
The same was true for the fire and water elves; hence, one could easily see just how wealthy the sylphs were.
Despite that the opinion of the Goblin King didn’t change.
It didn’t matter even if they could only provide a few soldiers. If they were to form an alliance, then they needed to provision soldiers. What’s important wasn’t the number of soldiers dispatched, but the cooperation between them.
Besides, as far as numbers went, the Goblin King’s 20,000 soldiers were more than enough.
The goblins were born warriors, and they alone were more than sufficient to head east and contest with the minor nations. But that wasn’t a good idea when the bigger picture was taken into consideration. After all, if they were to form an alliance, nothing could strengthen their trust better than to fight and shed blood together.
At the very least, that’s what the goblins, who possessed the biggest force, thought, and it was also through that that the many goblins that won and survived the many wars under the king found trust.
The Goblin King also knew from history that any alliance formed only during one’s heyday would not be effective once things began to go sour.
